Measuring device for contents of containers



Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Elizabeth E. Wilcox,New York, N. Y. ApplicationAugust 22, 1950, SerialNo. 180,749

4. Claims.

This invention relates to the measuring of shortening or othersemi-solid substances. while still' in the original container by meansof a divider or marker which could be placedv in and/or used with saidfcontainer.

Vegetable shortenings, lards and other things of' similar consistencyare usually packed' for retail home trade in cylindrical packagesv oftin, glass or cardboard. When these products are to be used in statedquantities one must spoon out the desire amount andv measure it in amarked cup, a time consumingoperation and one which causes the soilingof sai-d cup and spoon.

I'have for an object to provide means whereby no container other thanthe original conventional one will be required forY the measuringoperation.

To attain this object I propose` the use of a divider constructed of asuitable material that will' not readily absorb grease or moisture(preferably inexpensive enough to be easily disposable) which, bysetting it at a certain angle could be used to mark or actuallyy setAapa-rt in cup measure, a designated amount of the substance ready for'easy removal. My divider together with a marked slotted piece forsetting and holding the desired angle maybe placed i-n each container oradhered to the container or even supplied separately.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of manypossible embodiments of? the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of' one form of', the invention including thedivider and slotted piece;

Fig. 2` is an. elevation off the divider in open position; L

Fig. 3 is an elevation of, theslotted piece,v and Fig. 4 is aperspective of the container showing a use of the device of' Fig. 1.

The. invention as shown, in; its most preferable form inliigs. 1 to. e.,ccmprisesa thin rectangular sheet` Il! or. stili. materialsuchascardboard. plastic,v metal or the. like. provided with a transversehinge at the midrportion thereof. I prefer to use stiff cardboard orpaper as the material and in such case the hinge may bemerely a weakenedline II in the cardboard. The height of the sheet is preferably greaterthan that of the contents I2 of the associated cylindrical can I4, andthe length of the sheet is approximately equal to the diameter of thecan.

The weakened line or hinge II divides the sheet into two parts or wingsI5 and I6 adapted to be opened and closed with respect to each other. Apair of open slots I8 and I9 parallel tothe hinge line II are providedin the2v upper edge marginal portions of the parts I5 and- IBrespectively for cooperation with an angle determiningr or tie-piece,generally designated 20. The tie piece 29 is of stiff sheet materialwhich may, but not necessarily, be of thesame material as the hingedsheet I0, and is providedwth. an edge portion 2l, preferably straight.An open reference slot 22 and a plurality of Similar indicator slots 24spaced at predetermined in,- tervals along the edge portion are providedtherein. All of the slots 22A andA 2,4: are open and parallel,terminating in substantially the same plane perpendicular to; therslots.

By. alinement of reference slot 2'2 with a wing slot, say, I9 and anindicator slot. with the slot of the other wing the piece 2l!r is madeto, engage with the sheet I0 as shown in Fig. 1', to: form a deiinitedihedrall angle at the hinge IiI'. If' the lower end 25 of the hinge islplaced at the center of the can III'A the sheet lower edges-26 and 28can be impressed into the can contents at the surface thereof to markout radial lines on which a cylindrical segment of definite volume: may:be cut out, provided of course that the contents level is usuallyconstant.

The slots I8 and I9 have the function ofv establishing denite points onthe wings I5- and I6 to be engaged by the piece 29 and receiving theintra-marginal portion of said piece whereby the slots of the wingsreceive portions of the piece and the slots of the piece receiveportions of the wings. In this manner the piece 2l!l and the wings aresubstantially secured together i-n a temporary fit. It is thereforepreferable' that all the slots be of only slightlyr greater widththanthe thickness of the sheet material received, be it of the wings orof the piece 20.

The indicator slots are preferably so spaced with respect to referenceslot 22,v the sizev of the can I4, 'the usual level of the. Contents. l2and thev position of slots It.v and. I9 with. respect tdthe hinge, thatthe indicator slots will correspond to cup measurements. It ispreferable that the piece 2,0, simulate a measuring cup, having a handleportion 29. and. that indicia 30` be, pro.-V vided for the indicatorslots 24 to show cup measurement.

In use, the device may be employed merely to indicate radial lines forcutting subsequently, as with a knife, the desired quantity. However theheight of the wings and their stiffness may be made suicient so that thedevice may serve as a cutter by sinking into the contents as shown inFig. 4.

Although it is contemplated that a particular device such as shown inFig. 1 may be supplied with each can when sold and that the contents i2will always be of a definite depth, the slots i3 and I9 as well as slots22 and 24 may be of such depth themselves that when the device is sunkto the bottom of the can as in Fig. 4 the edge 2l barely engages thesurface of the contents if the contents depth is correct. Thus with theouter edges 23 and 2l, the wings against the inner wall of the can, thecup-piece edge 2l lightly engaging the surface of the contents while thebottom edges 26 and 28 engage the can bottom, the volume of shorteningwill be dependent only on which of the particular indicator slots 24 isemployed.

The sheet l may be folded flat and placed with the piece 20 on thesurface of the can contents prior to the sealing of the can, the twobeing if necessary, say, in an envelope to prevent hot shortening fromunduly wetting them and causing them to adhere together when cooled.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical canswherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising arectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened at themid-portion to form a pair of Wings hinged together, the length of theside of the sheet perpendicular t0 said portion being substantiallyequal to the diameter of the can, the sheet being provided with a pairof open slots, said slots being on opposite sides of the hinge axis andparallel therewith, a tie piece for holding the hinged wings in aselected predetermined angular relationship to each other and comprisinga sheet of stiff material having a straight edge, the marginal portionsthereof being provided with a series of open slots spaced along saidedge and perpendicular thereto, the slots of the wings receiving saidmarginal portion and the slots of the tie piece receiving marginalportions of the wings.

2. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical canswherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising arectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened along a lineat the mid-portion to form a pair of similar wings hinged together, thelength of the side of the sheet perpendicular to said portion beingsubstantially equal to the diameter of the can, the sheet being providedwith a pair of open slots, said slots being on opposite sides of thehinge axis and parallel therewith and opening in the same direction; atie piece for holding the hinged wings in a selected predeterminedangular relationship to each other and comprising a sheet of stiffmaterial having a straight edge, the marginal portions thereof beingprovided with a series of open slots spaced along said edge, the slotsof the wings receiving said marginal portion and the slots of the tiepiece receiving marginal portions of the wings, the wings, tie piece,depth and spacing of all slots, diameter of the can and the depth ofcontents thereof all being so proportioned that when the Wings areengaged in successive slots of said series and the axis of the hingecoincides with the axis of the can and said edge barely engages alongthe surface of the can contents, predetermined volumes, in simplefractions of cup measure, of contents will be included between thewings, and indicia in cup measure provided on said tie piece adjacentsaid slots in the tie piece.

3. In a device for use with a can having shortening or the like at auniform predetermined level therein; a rectangular sheet of stiffmaterial transversely weakened at the mid-portion to form a pair ofWings hinged and adapted to be folded together and adapted to be placedin the can to lie flat on the surface of the contents of the can andtherein, the length of the side of the sheet perpendicular to saidportion being substantially equal to the diameter of the can, the sheetbeing provided with a pair of open slots, said slots being on oppositesides of the hinge axis and parallel therewith and open in the samedirection; a tie piece simulating a cup for holding the hinged wings ina selected predetermined angular relationship to each other andcomprising a sheet of stiftmaterial having a straight edge, the marginalportions thereof being provided with a series of open slots spaced alongsaid edge, and indicia for said series of slots indicating cup measure,said piece also being adapted to be placed in the can and lie flat onthe surface of the contents of the can and therein.

4. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical canswherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising arectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened at themid-portion to form a pair of wings hinged together, the length of theside of the sheet perpendicular to said portion being substantiallyequal to the diameter of the can; a tie piece simulating the profile ofa cup for holding the hinged wings in a selected predetermined angularrelationship to each other; means for holding the tie piece in apredetermined position along an edge of the sheet, said piece comprisinga sheet of stiff material having a straight edge, the marginal portionsthereof being provided With a series of open slots spaced in apredetermined manner along said edge and perpendicular thereto, theslots of the tie piece being adapted to receive marginal portions of theWings and hold the wings in -a predetermining angular relationshipwhereby the device when applied to the surface of said contents maymeasure a cylindrical sector of contents, the spacing of the slots beingso chosen that the volume of the sector is a simple common fraction of acup.'

ELIZABETH E. WILCOX.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,019,702 Robinson Mar. 5, 1912 2,087,061 Mabrey July 13, 19372,254,763 Wolfe Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,770France July 20, 1925

